KR20180087608A - System and method for providing search service - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a system for providing a search service and a method thereof, capable of providing an open application programming interface which can implement a search function in a virtual keyboard. The system for providing a search service includes at least one processor configured to execute instructions readable by a computer. The at least one processor includes: a recognition unit that recognizes a call of an API loaded or coupled for a search service to a keyboard application as the keyboard application installed in an electronic device is executed; and a search result providing unit for receiving a search query from the keyboard application and providing search results corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application when a call of the API is recognized. The keyboard application displays a virtual keyboard including a search function on the electronic device as the keyboard application is executed in the electronic device, and displays the search result corresponding to the search query on the electronic device through the virtual keyboard according to the search function.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SEARCH SERVICE

The following description relates to a technique for providing a search service through a virtual keyboard.

In recent years, due to the development of digital technology, the use of mobile terminals has become commonplace, and various services using the services have been provided.

The mobile terminal includes various functions that can be provided by a personal computer (PC) such as a smart phone, a tablet, a wearable device, and communication, game, and multimedia services It is evolving as a mounting trend.

Generally, a mobile terminal should have an information input means for receiving information from a user. In recent years, there has been a tendency to use a virtual keyboard input method as an information input means of a mobile terminal. The virtual keyboard input method may be a method of displaying a virtual keyboard on a touch screen and receiving a key value corresponding to the key when a user touches a desired key on the virtual keyboard.

Virtual keyboard technology is described in Arthur, C. Lamb, Jr. U. S. Patent No. 5,276, 794, which is incorporated herein by reference. In this technique, when a data field is selected as a pointer, a virtual keyboard is popped up and displayed. The virtual keyboard has a key area and a display area. When a predetermined key configured in the key area is selected by the user, characters of the corresponding key are displayed in the display area.

A system and method for providing an open application programming interface (API) capable of implementing a search function in a virtual keyboard.

And provides a system and method for providing a search function capable of recommending various services or contents at a keyboard level.

A computer-implemented search service providing system, comprising: at least one processor configured to execute instructions readable by the computer, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the keyboard application A recognition unit for recognizing a call of API loaded or combined for the search service; And a search result providing unit for receiving a search query from the keyboard application and providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application when the call of the API is recognized, A virtual keyboard including a search function is displayed on the electronic device, and a search result corresponding to the search query is displayed on the electronic device through the virtual keyboard according to the search function .

According to an aspect of the present invention, the search result providing unit may provide a search result by using a character input through the virtual keyboard as a search query.

According to another aspect, the search function may include at least one of a voice recognition function, a music search function, a code search function, an image search function, and a text translation function on the virtual keyboard.

According to another aspect, the search result providing unit may recommend content corresponding to at least one of location information, time information, and user history related to the electronic device on the virtual keyboard.

According to another aspect, the search result providing unit may provide recommendation contents of a service registered by a user of the electronic device on the virtual keyboard.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the search result providing unit may recommend content corresponding to a subject of the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result on characters input through the virtual keyboard.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the search result providing unit may recommend an autocomplete word or an orthographic proofreader for the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result on characters input through the virtual keyboard.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the search result providing unit may recommend a result of translating the character on the virtual keyboard into a predetermined language as a search result on characters input through the virtual keyboard.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the search result providing unit may search for a character input through the virtual keyboard, which is frequently used by a user of the electronic device based on a user history related to the electronic device on the virtual keyboard The context can be recommended.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the search result providing unit may recommend an anchor or a gift cone corresponding to the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result on characters input through the virtual keyboard.

A method of providing a search service implemented by a computer, the method comprising: recognizing a call to an API loaded or coupled for a search service in the keyboard application as a keyboard application installed in the electronic device is executed; And receiving a search query from the keyboard application when a call to the API is recognized and providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application, And displaying a search result corresponding to the search query on the electronic device through the virtual keyboard according to the search function.

According to embodiments of the present invention, an open application programming interface (API) capable of implementing a search function in a virtual keyboard can be provided.

According to embodiments of the present invention, various services or contents can be provided at the keyboard level by implementing a search function on the keyboard.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram for explaining an internal configuration of an electronic device and a server in an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for providing a search service in an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of components that a processor of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention may include.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method that a server according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform.
FIGS. 6 to 17 are diagrams for explaining examples of search function implementations on a virtual keyboard in an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a technology for implementing a search function on a virtual keyboard. More specifically, the present invention provides an open API for a search service targeting a virtual keyboard, thereby providing various services or contents at a keyboard level Technology.

Embodiments, including those specifically disclosed herein, may implement search functionality on a virtual keyboard, thereby achieving significant advantages in terms of efficiency, convenience, cost savings, and the like.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network environment according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows an example in which a plurality of electronic devices 110, 120, 130, 140, a plurality of servers 150, 160, and a network 170 are included. 1, the number of electronic devices and the number of servers are not limited to those shown in FIG.

The plurality of electronic devices 110, 120, 130, 140 may be a fixed terminal implemented as a computer device or a mobile terminal. Examples of the plurality of electronic devices 110, 120, 130 and 140 include a smart phone, a mobile phone, a navigation device, a computer, a notebook, a digital broadcast terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) ), And tablet PCs. For example, the electronic device 1 110 may communicate with other electronic devices 120, 130, 140 and / or the servers 150, 160 via the network 170 using a wireless or wired communication scheme.

The communication method is not limited, and may include a communication method using a communication network (for example, a mobile communication network, a wired Internet, a wireless Internet, a broadcasting network) that the network 170 may include, as well as a short-range wireless communication between the devices. For example, the network 170 may be a personal area network (LAN), a local area network (LAN), a campus area network (CAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN) , A network such as the Internet, and the like. The network 170 may also include any one or more of a network topology including a bus network, a star network, a ring network, a mesh network, a star-bus network, a tree or a hierarchical network, It is not limited.

Each of the servers 150 and 160 is a computer device or a plurality of computers that communicate with a plurality of electronic devices 110, 120, 130 and 140 through a network 170 to provide commands, codes, files, Lt; / RTI > devices.

In one example, the server 160 may provide a file for installation of the application to the electronic device 1 (110) connected via the network 170. [ In this case, the electronic device 1 (110) can install an application using a file provided from the server (160). The server 150 is connected to the server 150 in accordance with an operating system (OS) included in the electronic device 1 110 or under control of at least one program (for example, a browser or an installed application) I can receive contents. For example, when the electronic device 1 (110) transmits a service request message to the server 150 via the network 170 under the control of the application, the server 150 transmits a code corresponding to the service request message to the electronic device 1 The first electronic device 110 can provide contents to the user by displaying and displaying a screen according to the code according to the control of the application.

2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an electronic device and a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, an internal configuration of the electronic device 1 (110) as an example of one electronic device and the server 150 as an example of one server will be described. Other electronic devices 120, 130, 140 or server 160 may have the same or similar internal configurations.

The electronic device 1 110 and the server 150 may include memories 211 and 221, processors 212 and 222, communication modules 213 and 223 and input / output interfaces 214 and 224. The memories 211 and 221 may be a computer-readable recording medium and may include a permanent mass storage device such as a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and a disk drive. Also, the operating system or at least one program code (code for an application installed in, for example, the electronic device 1 110) may be stored in the memories 211 and 221. These software components may be loaded from a computer readable recording medium separate from the memories 211 and 221. [ Such a computer-readable recording medium may include a computer-readable recording medium such as a floppy drive, a disk, a tape, a DVD / CD-ROM drive, and a memory card. In other embodiments, the software components may be loaded into memory 211, 221 via communication modules 213, 223 rather than a computer readable recording medium. For example, at least one program may be a program installed by a file distribution system (for example, the server 160 described above) that distributes installation files of developers or applications, May be loaded into the memory 211, 221 based on the application described above.

Processors 212 and 222 may be configured to process instructions of a computer program by performing basic arithmetic, logic, and input / output operations. The instructions may be provided to the processors 212 and 222 by the memories 211 and 221 or the communication modules 213 and 223. For example, the processor 212, 222 may be configured to execute a command received in accordance with a program code stored in a recording device, such as the memory 211, 221.

The communication modules 213 and 223 may provide functions for the electronic device 1 110 and the server 150 to communicate with each other through the network 170 and may provide functions for communicating with other electronic devices (for example, the electronic device 2 120) Or to communicate with another server (e.g., server 160). The request generated by the processor 212 of the electronic device 1 110 according to the program code stored in the recording device such as the memory 211 is transmitted to the server 170 via the network 170 under the control of the communication module 213 150 < / RTI > Conversely, control signals, commands, contents, files, and the like provided under the control of the processor 222 of the server 150 are transmitted to the communication module 223 of the electronic device 110 via the communication module 223 and the network 170 213 to the electronic device 1 (110). For example, the control signal or command of the server 150 received through the communication module 213 may be transmitted to the processor 212 or the memory 211, May be stored as a storage medium that may further include a < RTI ID = 0.0 >

The input / output interface 214 may be a means for interfacing with the input / output device 215. For example, the input device may include a device such as a keyboard or a mouse, and the output device may include a device such as a display for displaying a communication session of the application. As another example, the input / output interface 214 may be a means for interfacing with a device having integrated functions for input and output, such as a touch screen. More specifically, the processor 212 of the electronic device 1 (110) uses the data provided by the server 150 or the electronic device 2 (120) in processing commands of the computer program loaded in the memory 211 A service screen or contents can be displayed on the display through the input / output interface 214. [

Also, in other embodiments, electronic device 1 110 and server 150 may include more components than the components of FIG. However, there is no need to clearly illustrate most prior art components. For example, electronic device 1 110 may be implemented to include at least a portion of input / output devices 215 described above, or may be implemented with other components such as a transceiver, Global Positioning System (GPS) module, camera, Elements. More specifically, when the electronic device 1 (110) is a smart phone, it may be an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a camera, various physical buttons, buttons using a touch panel, input / output ports, It is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Hereinafter, a specific embodiment of a system and method for providing a search service through a virtual keyboard will be described.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system environment for providing a search service in an embodiment of the present invention.

The keyboard application 10 installed on the electronic device 110 provides a virtual keyboard which is a unique function and other programs (e.g., application programming interface, software development kit, framework, etc.) Or a computer program produced in the form of a package bundled with these programs. The keyboard application 10 is an application developed to enable a search service provided by the server 150 on a virtual keyboard. For example, referring to FIG. 3, a search service can be implemented on a virtual keyboard in the keyboard application 10 The open API 50 disclosed by the server 150 in connection with the search service can be mounted or combined. The server 150 is connected to the electronic device 110 via the keyboard application 10 in response to a call of the open API 50 mounted or coupled to the keyboard app 10 when the keyboard app 10 is executed on the electronic device 110. [ ) To provide a search result corresponding to a search request of a user of the electronic device 110 to the electronic device 110 through the keyboard app 10. In some embodiments, the keyboard application 10 and the open API 50 may be separate and independent.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a component that a server of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention can include; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method that a server can perform according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Fig.

As shown in FIG. 4, the processor 222 of the server 150 may include a recognition unit 410, a search result generation unit 420, and a search result providing unit 430 as elements. The components of the processor 222 and the processor 222 may control the server 150 to perform the steps S510 through S530 included in the method of FIG. At this time, the components of the processor 222 and the processor 222 may be implemented to execute instructions according to the code of the operating system and the code of at least one program that the memory 221 contains. In addition, components of processor 222 may be representations of different functions performed by processor 222 in accordance with control commands provided by the operating system or by at least one program. For example, the recognizer 410 may be used as a functional representation in which the processor 222 recognizes an open API call that is mounted or coupled to the keyboard app according to the control command described above.

In step S510, when the keyboard application installed in the electronic device 110 is executed, the recognition unit 410 may recognize an open API call mounted or coupled to the keyboard application for the search service. In this specification, a keyboard application may refer to any application that provides a virtual keyboard for inputting characters on the screen of the electronic device 110. [ 3, an open API for implementing a search service provided by the server 150 on a virtual keyboard may be mounted or coupled, and when executed in the electronic device 110, an open API The search can be provided on the virtual keyboard through a call. As the open API of the search service is loaded or combined, the keyboard application can provide a virtual keyboard including various UIs related to the search function. The recognition unit 410 can recognize the search function activation state on the virtual keyboard by recognizing the open API call mounted or coupled to the keyboard application. At this time, the search function may include all the search related functions that can be implemented at the keyboard level. In addition to the integrated search function that can provide various services or contents corresponding to the search query, (location, time, history, etc.) related to the context or electronic device 110 input through the virtual keyboard, the input assist function including a word recommendation, a typing correction, an autocomplete, And a simple search input function such as a keyword search function, a keyword search function, a voice recognition function, a music search function, a code reader, and a text translation function. Accordingly, in the present invention, an open API capable of implementing a search function on a virtual keyboard is mounted or coupled to a keyboard application, so that various methods such as keyword search, voice recognition, music search, code search, image search, Environment can be provided.

In step S520, the search result generating unit 420 may receive a search query from the keyboard application on the electronic device 110 and generate a search result corresponding to the received query if the open API call is recognized. The user uses the search function through the virtual keyboard provided by the keyboard application in the electronic device 110. For example, the search result generating unit 420 receives a character input by the user through the virtual keyboard as a search query, The search result corresponding to the query can be generated. The search function available in the virtual keyboard may include a simple search input function such as speech recognition, music search, code search, and text translation as well as text-based search. , Voice / music recognition result, code recognition result, image, and the like. All services or contents targeted by the search service may be included in the search result, and the search result generating unit 420 may generate a service or content corresponding to the search query received from the keyboard application as a search result.

In step S530, the search result providing unit 430 may provide the search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application. The search result provided by the search result providing unit 430 may be provided to the user of the electronic device 110 by being exposed on the virtual keyboard provided by the keyboard application. As another example, the search result providing unit 430 may be set to a default state in some circumstances, for example, in the initial state immediately before the search query is received immediately after the execution of the keyboard application or when the search query is not received from the keyboard application for a predetermined time, It is also possible to recommend content based on preset recommendation criteria through a keyboard app.

Embodiments of the present invention can implement a search function capable of providing various services or contents on a virtual keyboard provided by a keyboard application through an open API installed or coupled to a keyboard application for a search service.

FIGS. 6 to 17 are diagrams for explaining examples of search function implementations on a virtual keyboard in an embodiment of the present invention.

In the following embodiments, the virtual keyboard provided in the messenger is described as a representative example. However, the present invention is not limited to this and is applicable to all environments in which a keyboard application is executed.

6 shows an example of a process of displaying a virtual keyboard in a messenger application.

6, the messenger screen 600 includes a character input space 601, and when the user selects a character input space 601 for composing a chat message, The virtual keyboard 610 can be displayed at a predetermined position, for example, at the bottom. When an application such as a message, an e-mail, an Internet (portal, news, shopping, etc.), a memo, a contact, a music, an album and a map is used in addition to the messenger, The user of the electronic device 110 can invoke the virtual keyboard through the keyboard application when the user selects a data field for inputting characters in a running application.

At this time, the virtual keyboard 610 can be divided into a key area 611 composed of a plurality of key buttons for inputting characters, and a search service area 612 for providing services related to the search and contents. The search service area 612 may be included and configured on the virtual keyboard 610 as an open API for a search service is loaded or combined in the keyboard application.

The virtual keyboard 610 is a keyboard having an integrated search function and includes a character input space 601 provided on the conversation screen 600 of the messenger 600 calling the virtual keyboard 610 without separately configuring a search window, ) Can be used as a search window.

The user can utilize the search result provided in the keyboard area during the input operation in the app which is in use without entering the separate search mode. Therefore, it is possible to minimize confusion and improve the user's convenience by not disturbing the original input operation and separately inputting the input and retrieval input in the app that is being used.

In an initial state in which there is no character input in the character input space 601, the default or recommended content set by the user may be exposed on the search service area 612. [ For example, the search service area 612 in the initial state may include a search term (e.g., a real-time rapid search term, a list of existing search terms, etc.) based on information identifiable with respect to the electronic device 110, ) Or recommended content (e.g., weather, etc.) may be exposed. The history based recommendation function can store the user history related to the character input on the keyboard application and can recommend the optimum search word or contents based on the statistics on the stored information. As another example, in the initial state search service area 612, a service list (e.g., news, schedule, memo, etc.) registered by a user of the electronic device 110, such as a shortcut, (E.g., latest contents, popular contents, weather, etc.) of the service registered by the user can be exposed.

Figs. 7 to 9 are exemplary diagrams for explaining an input assist function according to the context of a virtual keyboard. Fig.

Referring to FIG. 7, an automatic completion word corresponding to an input character may be provided as a recommended content on a search service area 712 of a virtual keyboard 710 with respect to a character input in the character input space 701.

Referring to FIG. 8, when a character entered in the character input space 801 includes a typo, a correction word for the typo may be provided as a recommended content on the search service area 812 of the virtual keyboard 810.

Referring to FIG. 9, if characters input in the character input space 901 are composed of a prefix combination, a prediction word corresponding to the prefix can be provided as a recommended content on the search service area 912 of the virtual keyboard 910 .

In addition to the autocomplete word, the typo correction word, and the predicting prediction word, it is also possible to recommend emotions corresponding to the characters inputted in the character input space. In addition to the emotion recommendation for a single word, It is also possible to recommend a set of emoticons for. In the case of a sentence using a combination of words by word, it is possible to immediately recommend a combination of images in the input of similar characters based on the user history. For example, if there is a history of using the icons of the image of Bob in place of 'Bob' and the icon of the image of the mouth in place of 'Eat', for the sentence 'Did you eat rice?', Then input 'rice' , It is possible to recommend an image set consisting of an icon of the Bob image and an icon of the mouth image with respect to the input character 'Bob'. Furthermore, a context frequently used by the user of the electronic device 110 can be constructed as a DB, and a context frequently used by a user among the contexts corresponding to input characters can be recommended based on the DB. It is also possible to translate a character input in the character input space into a language selected by a user of the electronic device 110 and provide a translation result.

When recommending an autocomplete word, a typo corrective word, a preliminary predictive word, a suggested search term or an emoticon for an input character, the selection of a recommendation result may be different for each user. Accordingly, it is possible to accumulate the selection of the recommendation result for each user, and to personalize the recommended input for each user based on the user-specific history.

10 to 12 are exemplary diagrams for explaining a search word recommendation function according to the context of a virtual keyboard.

The virtual keyboard can provide a search word recommendation function for providing a recommendation word based on a context input in a character input space or information (location, time, history, and the like) related to the electronic device 120.

For example, referring to FIG. 10, a recommendation word corresponding to an input character may be provided as a recommended content on a search service area 1012 of a virtual keyboard 1010 with respect to a character input in the character input space 1001. At this time, the subject to which the input character belongs can be grasped, and the related search word or the popular search word corresponding to the subject can be provided as a recommendation word.

As shown in FIG. 11, when a specific search term is selected from the search terms provided on the search service area 1112 of the virtual keyboard 1110, the search service area 1112 may be expanded or a specific search term may be added to the additional search area 1112 Quot; search result 1113 " At this time, the search result 1113 provided by the virtual keyboard 1110 may be a filter such as a search tab (e.g., integration, news, entertainment, sports, video, Can be provided.

Correct answer information corresponding to the character input to the character input space 1101 or a link of the corresponding information can be provided as the search result 1113. [ For example, the input character 'TV' may be provided with information on the TV schedule, 'tomorrow' may be provided with information on tomorrow's weather, 'movie' may be provided with information on the movie ranking, 'Provides information about the nearby restaurants, provides the recommendation result for' gift ', and provides a route search or navigation link for' [business name] '.

Then, the application that called the virtual keyboard 1110 can be grasped and a category or a topic that can limit the search range can be determined. For example, when a specific product name is inputted while using the shopping app, content suitable for a shopping subject among the search results provided by the server 150 can be selected and displayed on the virtual keyboard 1110.

Referring to FIG. 12, when selecting a specific content in the search result 1213 provided by the virtual keyboard 1210, link information linked to the web view of the corresponding content may be input into the character input space 1201. At this time, the keyboard application can screen capture the search result at the time of selection in the search result 1213, and insert the captured image into the character input space 1201 together with the link information. In other words, the link information and the image can be inserted into the character input space 1201 at once by the selection operation for the search result 1213 in the virtual keyboard 1210. [

The content link information according to the selection in the search result 1213 may be input to the character input space 1201 and then transmitted to the other party when a transmission request of the user is made. The link information (and the captured image) of the corresponding content can be directly transmitted to the other party when the specific content is selected in the search result 1213 without going through.

In addition, when there is no input or additional input in the character input space for a predetermined period of time, the content can be automatically recommended on the keyboard area or the search service area of the virtual keyboard. At this time, it is also possible that the predetermined time is set to a default value in the system or directly set by the user. For example, if there is no input for 10 seconds in the character input space, you can recommend a real-time zoom search term in the search service area of the virtual keyboard. In addition, it may provide various search word charts and recommendation information.

The search function on the virtual keyboard basically utilizes the character input space on the application that calls the virtual keyboard as a search window without separately configuring a search window, which is a space for inputting a search word, It is also possible to provide a route. For example, a menu for entering a search mode into a search service area (e.g., a 'K' shaped button) may be allocated and a search mode including a separate search window may be provided when the menu is selected . When the virtual keyboard enters a separate search mode, a search window is displayed and a search result corresponding to the keyword entered in the search window separately from the input character can be provided. In this case, a list of suggested search terms may be provided along with a search window. In the list of recommended search terms before the keyword is inputted in the search window, a list of real-time popular search words on the Internet, recent search words based on user history, And a related search word related to the input keyword may be included in the list of the recommended search terms after the keyword is inputted in the search window.

13 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a simple search input function of the virtual keyboard.

As the keyboard app is loaded or combined with an open API for the search service, the virtual keyboard can be configured to include simple search input functions such as voice recognition, music search, code search, and text translation.

As an example, the virtual keyboard 1310, along with the search service area 1312, may provide a quick search menu list 1314, as shown in FIG. At this time, in the quick search menu list 1314, a 'voice recognition' menu capable of recognizing the voice recognition result as a query, a 'music search' menu capable of searching and recognizing the music, a QR code, a barcode, A 'text search' menu, an 'image search' menu in which an image can be searched by a query, a 'text translation' menu in which an input character can be translated into a selected language, and the like.

The virtual keyboard 1310 can provide not only a function of automatically correcting typo etc., but also a speech recognition function through dictation of speech. In the case of Korean, a recognition engine specialized for Korean and a Korean language processing technology And can support high quality false-positive calibration logic.

Furthermore, the virtual keyboard 1310 may further include a function of fixing various service links such as news, calendars, memos, and dictionaries to the search service area 1412 by the search service provided by the server 150. [ For example, when a virtual keyboard 1410 is displayed on the conversation screen 1400 of the messenger as shown in FIG. 14, a service link 1410 set by the user like a shortcut on the search service area 1412 of the virtual keyboard 1410 May be displayed. When a specific link is selected on the search service area 1412 of the virtual keyboard 1410, the search service area 1412 is extended or a content (e.g., latest content, popular content, etc.) related to the service is recommended in the additional expanded area can do. (E.g., integrated, news, entertainment, sports, video, blog, image, etc.) that can be viewed by filtering the recommended content provided by the virtual keyboard 1410 according to the service.

In addition, the virtual keyboard 1310 may include an image search function by a search service provided by the server 150. The image search provided by the image search function may be performed by the server 150 regardless of the keyboard application Quot; content " For example, when an imaginary menu (not shown) is selected from the virtual keyboard 1310, the automatically selected emoticon or randomly selected emoticon can be directly input to the character input space 1301 according to a predetermined criterion. It is designed to implement customizing of aimage, as well as inputting a user's selection directly from the image list. It is automatically selected emotion based on the user's profile (age, sex, symbol, etc.) It is also possible to directly input an emoticon.

The virtual keyboard 1310 may further include a camera menu (not shown) for directly inputting the photographed image into the character input space 1301 by the search service provided by the server 150. [ For example, when the camera menu is selected from the virtual keyboard 1310, the camera photographing mode is executed on the virtual keyboard 1310, and the photographed image can be input to the character input space 1301. As another example, when the camera menu is selected from the virtual keyboard 1310, a camera photographing mode is executed on the virtual keyboard 1310, a list of stickers applicable to the image is provided, and a specific sticker selected from the sticker list is applied And input the image to which the sticker is applied in the character input space 1301. For example, when a user photographs his or her face through a camera menu on the virtual keyboard 1310, the user can recognize various parts of the face in the photographed image and input various facial expression stickers. The image to which the facial expression sticker is applied can be input into the character input space 1301. [ Furthermore, when the text is photographed using the camera photographing mode on the virtual keyboard 1310, it is also possible to extract the text within the photographed image and input the extracted text into the character input space 1301.

In addition, the virtual keyboard 1310 may further include a voice recording function and / or a video recording function according to a search service provided by the server 150. When a voice is recorded or an image is recorded, The user can automatically input the link information for accessing the uploaded content into the character input space 1301 after uploading the uploaded content. It is also possible to add a function of converting input characters into handwritten patterns in the virtual keyboard 1310 and inputting them into the character input space 1301 in the form of an image. At this time, the handwriting pattern can be selected from a built-in preset set as a default, or a pattern of any one of various types can be selected online. As another example, a user can directly write a character string on a paper sheet, The user's handwriting pattern can be recognized and stored and the user's handwriting pattern can be applied to the input character in the future.

15 to 17 are exemplary diagrams for explaining the additional search function of the virtual keyboard.

As the keyboard API is loaded or combined with the open API for the search service, the virtual keyboard can be configured to include search / input environment for various contents in addition to the general search search window.

Referring to FIG. 15, when a virtual keyboard 1510 is displayed on a conversation screen 1500 of a messenger, an additional function related to the additional search environment is accessed on a predetermined location of the virtual keyboard 1510, for example, An additional function menu may be included.

In order not to unnecessarily occupy the keyboard region, a predetermined menu allocated as a basic button on the search service area 1512, which is not a form in which a menu button for each additional function is allocated on the virtual keyboard 1510, The menu 1512-2 can be used as an additional function menu. For example, the search menu 1512-2 operates as a normal search as described with reference to FIG. 10 when tapping, and operates as an additional search when tap and hold (long tap) A menu list 1517 for accessing the additional functions that can be supported through the keyboard application can be provided.

When an additional function menu is allocated as the upper menu in the minimum space of the search service area 1512 and an additional function menu is selected, a menu list 1517 composed of menu buttons for each additional function can be provided through the extension layer. For example, if the simple tab is terminated within a predetermined time with respect to the search menu 1512-2, the extension layer of the menu list 1517 is not shown. However, if the tab is held longer than the predetermined time, Layers can be implemented in an expanded form. As another example, it is also possible to implement the enhancement layer of the menu list 1517 to be always translucent when the search menu 1512-2 is touched regardless of the time to hold the tab. The menu list 1517 expanded according to the selection of the search menu 1512-2 may be arranged and displayed in an array form of at least one row and a row or a radiation form of a circle or a semicircle.

As shown in FIG. 16, the menu list 1517 includes an 'image search' menu 1617-1 for searching an image, an 'image search' menu 1617-2 for searching for an image, a moving image A 'Search Search' menu 1617-3 for searching for a translation result, a 'Translation Search' menu 1617-4 for searching a translation result, a 'Recent Search' menu 1617 -5), a 'shopping search' menu 1617-6 for searching for a shopping result such as a gift, and an 'image editor' menu 1617-7 for directly inputting a picture by the user. The virtual keyboard 1510 can provide a variety of browsing environments such as images, emoji, hum, translations, etc., and the retrieved contents can be input into the character input space.

For example, if a user stores a keyword used as a search term or a frequently used keyword in a recent period as a recent search term and then selects a 'recent search' menu 1617-5 on the virtual keyboard 1510, It is possible to provide an environment in which keywords can be input directly as search keywords. In addition, a 'search for a boilerplate' menu (not shown) for searching for boilerplate in the same context as the 'recent search' menu 1617-5 can be added. For example, a user may pre-register a frequently used input form (e.g., sentence, URL, account number, etc.) as desired, and then input a desired input form into a single input using the ' You can type directly into the character input space. In this way, it is also possible to input and save a saved boilerplate by using the 'search for a boilerplate' menu, but it is also possible to pre-map and set a desired boilerplate to each key on the virtual keyboard 1510, Is input in combination with a specific key button, a mapped input word can be directly input into the character input space instead of the character of the corresponding key.

As another example, in the present invention, it is possible to provide a simple shopping environment through the virtual keyboard 1510 during character input. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, a text 'coffee' is input into a character input space 1701 using a virtual keyboard 1710 in a conversation screen 1700 of a messenger, and a 'shopping search' menu 1617- 6) is selected, the shopping search result 1713 corresponding to the input character can be provided. At this time, the shopping search result 1813 may be a result retrieved from the entire shopping category. Further, depending on the type of the application that called the virtual keyboard 1810, for example, in the case of the instant messenger application, The concept can be limited to search results such as gift cones that are simple to present during a conversation.

As another example, the present invention can provide an environment in which a user can directly input a picture drawn directly by using an image editor through a virtual keyboard 1510 into a character input space. In other words, when the user selects the 'image editor' menu 1617-7 on the virtual keyboard 1510, various tools for image creation are provided on the virtual keyboard 1510, The user can directly input the character input space into the character input space. The image editor provided through the 'Image Editor' menu (1617-7) not only draws pictures on the slide window, but also recalls pre-stored images (photos, videos, etc.) It is possible to do various work such as drawing a picture on the image.

The submenus constituting the menu list 1517 are illustrative and not limited thereto, and it is also possible that some menus are omitted or added.

Functions related to the search described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 17 can be implemented on a virtual keyboard as an open API for a search service is loaded or combined in a keyboard application.

Therefore, according to the present invention, an open API for a search service is loaded or coupled to a keyboard application, so that various services and contents related to search can be provided through a virtual keyboard. The virtual keyboard may include at least one search function described with reference to FIGS.

The apparatus described above may be implemented as a hardware component, a software component, and / or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the apparatus and components described in the embodiments may be implemented as a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit, a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. The processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing apparatus may be described as being used singly, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the processing apparatus may have a plurality of processing elements and / As shown in FIG. For example, the processing unit may comprise a plurality of processors or one processor and one controller. Other processing configurations are also possible, such as a parallel processor.

The software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of the foregoing, and may be configured to configure the processing device to operate as desired or to process it collectively or collectively Device can be commanded. The software and / or data may be in the form of any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage media, or device As shown in FIG. The software may be distributed over a networked computer system and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on one or more computer readable recording media.

The method according to an embodiment may be implemented in the form of a program command that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. At this time, the medium may be a program that continuously stores a computer executable program, or temporarily stores the program for execution or downloading. Further, the medium may be a variety of recording means or storage means in the form of a combination of a single hardware or a plurality of hardware, but is not limited to a medium directly connected to any computer system, but may be dispersed on a network. Examples of the medium include a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk and a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as CD-ROM and DVD, a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk, And program instructions including ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. As another example of the medium, a recording medium or a storage medium that is managed by a site or a server that supplies or distributes an application store or various other software is also enumerated.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. For example, it is to be understood that the techniques described may be performed in a different order than the described methods, and / or that components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, Lt; / RTI > or equivalents, even if it is replaced or replaced.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (20)

A computer-implemented search service providing system,
At least one processor configured to execute instructions readable by the computer,
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the at least one processor comprises:
A recognition unit that recognizes a call of an API loaded or coupled to the keyboard application for a search service when a keyboard application installed in the electronic device is executed; And
A search result providing unit for receiving a search query from the keyboard application and providing search results corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application,
Lt; / RTI >
The keyboard application displays a virtual keyboard including a search function on the electronic device as it is executed in the electronic device and displays a search result corresponding to the search query on the electronic device through the virtual keyboard according to the search function that
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The search result providing unit,
Providing a search result by using a character input through the virtual keyboard as a search query
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the search function includes at least one of a voice recognition function, a music search function, a code search function, an image search function, and a text translation function
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The search result providing unit,
Recommending contents corresponding to at least one of position information, time information, and user history related to the electronic device on the virtual keyboard
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The search result providing unit,
Providing recommended content of a service registered by a user of the electronic device on the virtual keyboard
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The search result providing unit,
And recommending a content corresponding to a subject of the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result on characters input through the virtual keyboard
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The search result providing unit,
And recommending an autocomplete word or orthographic proofreader for the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result for the character input through the virtual keyboard
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The search result providing unit,
And recommending a result obtained by translating the character into a predetermined language on the virtual keyboard as a search result on characters input through the virtual keyboard
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The search result providing unit,
Recommending a context frequently used by a user of the electronic device based on a user history related to the electronic device on the virtual keyboard as a search result for characters input through the virtual keyboard
The search service providing system comprising: The method according to claim 1,
The search result providing unit,
Recommending an emotion or gift cone corresponding to the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result for a character input through the virtual keyboard
The search service providing system comprising: A computer-implemented search service providing method,
Recognizing a call to an API loaded or coupled to the keyboard application for a search service as the keyboard application installed in the electronic device is executed; And
Receiving a search query from the keyboard application when a call to the API is recognized and providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application
Lt; / RTI >
The keyboard application displays a virtual keyboard including a search function on the electronic device as it is executed in the electronic device and displays a search result corresponding to the search query on the electronic device through the virtual keyboard according to the search function that
The search service providing method comprising: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application comprises:
Receiving a character input through the virtual keyboard in a search query and providing a search result corresponding to the character
The search service providing method comprising: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application comprises:
Recommending contents corresponding to at least one of position information, time information, and user history related to the electronic device on the virtual keyboard
The search service providing method comprising: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application comprises:
Providing recommended content of a service registered by a user of the electronic device on the virtual keyboard
The search service providing method comprising: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application comprises:
And recommending a content corresponding to a subject of the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result on characters input to the virtual keyboard
The search service providing method comprising: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application comprises:
And recommending an autocomplete word or orthographic proofreader for the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result for characters input to the virtual keyboard
The search service providing method comprising: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application comprises:
And recommending a result of translating the character into a predetermined language on the virtual keyboard as a result of searching for characters input by the virtual keyboard
The search service providing method comprising: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application comprises:
Recommending a context frequently used by a user of the electronic device based on a user history associated with the electronic device on the virtual keyboard as a search result for characters input to the virtual keyboard
The search service providing method comprising: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of providing a search result corresponding to the search query to the keyboard application comprises:
And recommending an emotion or gift cone corresponding to the character on the virtual keyboard as a search result for characters input to the virtual keyboard
The search service providing method comprising: A computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium for executing the search service providing method according to any one of claims 11 to 19.

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